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Fiola Mare, Washington Harbour, A 9,000 Square Foot Italian Seafood Concept by the Owners of Fiola


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11 hours ago, reedm said:

This is important; to the best of my knowledge, the bidding feature is NOT in use in DC. 

Easy enough to call/email Fiola for reservations  

 

Out of curiosity - why is that important? The bidding feature that has inspired such pearl clutching is an optional feature - again, as someone who has actually used the app in question paying a premium is not necessary to request or make a reservation - at ANY reserve restaurant. For example, I've requested a reservation, been presented with the option to pay more for a table, and have declined each time. Each time my reservation and meal went off without a hitch.

If anything, I would rather restaurants be able to experiment with more dynamic and market driven pricing models (let's face it, an 8pm reservation at Fiola Mare on Saturday is more valuable than 8pm on a Wednesday) if it allows them to maxmize profit and therefore (a) survive, and potentially (b) expand staff benefits, hours etc etc.

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1 minute ago, Keithstg said:

Out of curiosity - why is that important? The bidding feature that has inspired such pearl clutching is an optional feature - again, as someone who has actually used the app in question paying a premium is not necessary to request or make a reservation.

If anything, I would rather restaurants be able to experiment with more dynamic and market driven pricing models (let's face it, an 8pm reservation at Fiola Mare on Saturday is more valuable than 8pm on a Wednesday) if it allows them to maxmize profit and therefore (a) survive, and potentially (b) expand staff benefits, hours etc etc.

It is important only in the sense that I did not want to lead people to believe Fiola Mare is using the bidding feature. I could have been clearer in my original post.

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37 minutes ago, Keithstg said:

Out of curiosity - why is that important? The bidding feature that has inspired such pearl clutching is an optional feature - again, as someone who has actually used the app in question paying a premium is not necessary to request or make a reservation - at ANY reserve restaurant. For example, I've requested a reservation, been presented with the option to pay more for a table, and have declined each time. Each time my reservation and meal went off without a hitch.

As the chief pearl clutcher, I'm happy your reservations have gone off without a hitch,  but that's hardly reassuring   The whole point of making a reservation is that the night goes off without a hitch!  Now, suddenly it's a great success story that you made a reservation and actually got to keep it?!?!?   Is this the brave new word of the hospitality industry?!?  

I suppose you could claim victory at the fact the you made it through the entire meal without getting out bid during the evening. "I'm sorry sir but there's someone I the lobby who wants your table.  You can pony up another couple hundred dollars right now or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  

Ok, that last comment was a little over the  top, but what happens when you make a regular reservation for Saturday night and someone comes in after you and makes a premium reservation?  Do you get a call saying you're SOL?  Do show up that night to find your table sold to the highest bidder?  Or do you get the call saying if you want to keep your table, there's going to be a 100% surcharge to your bill?

 

http://youtu.be/4T2GmGSNvaM

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On 10/26/2016 at 10:42 AM, Bart said:

As the chief pearl clutcher, I'm happy your reservations have gone off without a hitch,  but that's hardly reassuring   The whole point of making a reservation is that the night goes off without a hitch!  Now, suddenly it's a great success story that you made a reservation and actually got to keep it?!?!?   Is this the brave new word of the hospitality industry?!?  

I suppose you could claim victory at the fact the you made it through the entire meal without getting out bid during the evening. "I'm sorry sir but there's someone I the lobby who wants your table.  You can pony up another couple hundred dollars right now or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  

Ok, that last comment was a little over the  top, but what happens when you make a regular reservation for Saturday night and someone comes in after you and makes a premium reservation?  Do you get a call saying you're SOL?  Do show up that night to find your table sold to the highest bidder?  Or do you get the call saying if you want to keep your table, there's going to be a 100% surcharge to your bill?

Oh brother. While I think that the entirety of your post is over the top, here are a couple things (that could easily be verified by either (a) using reserve, (b) taking a look at reserve's site or (c) me explaining better in prior posts):

- When I say went off without a hitch, I mean that although I did not elect to pay a premium I was always able to obtain the reservation I wanted, at the time I wanted it. In my experience, failing to bid over the menu price did not result in an inferior reservation time or table.

- Each restaurant has a finite number of tables in/ on reserve, and once allocated, they are gone. So in the hyperbolic example above, once a reservation is made and accepted the restaurant doesn't have the ability to boot another in favor of an increased bid, at least not how I understand Reserve to work, or have observed Reserve working.

- As to the notion of bidding in general, while I agree that the process could be more transparent (like Resy's system of paying for reservation times, for example) I see no reason why restaurants shouldn't explore it - especially during things like Inauguration week as you noted upthread.

Also, no affiliation with Reserve, but maybe I should have invested.

Anyhoo, Don - maybe time to move this discussion out of Fiola Mare's thread?

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1 hour ago, funkyfood said:

I've never been to Fiola Mare, but was thinking of going there next weekend for our anniversary.  Is it still great?  Washingtonian suggests it slipped as attention is on Del Mar and Sfoglina

I've only been for brunch and was just there for New Year's, and the cooking was solid and precise as ever. Special shout out for the panna cotta and the lobster ravioli, which has always been wonderful but is getting more and more eye-poppingly pricey if ordered a la carte.  

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I went to dinner tonight with my Mom and I am still kind of reveling over the whole meal.  We got a glass of sangiovese and rose (from a hilarious magnum, double magnum? larger wine bottle (I forget the name for the next size up)) at the bar hoping to score a bar table or bar seat as we had no reservation.  A table opened up very quickly and we jumped on it.  We had the spring gem salad, which I admit did not sound interesting or great, but it was terrific- the greens were super fresh, it was light and tangy, with peas, favas, leek panna cotta (just a bit on the bottom of the plate), cucumbers- the dish was way better than I expected- a terrific salad.  We split the adriatic seafood grill, asparagus and spinach.  Really we probably over ordered by a side.  The adriatic seafood grill had a filet of fish (I forget what it was, gave it to Mom), lots of calamari, langoustine, lobster tail and claw.  The sauce on it was really terrific.  We thought the langoustine and calamari really stood out on the dish- the calamari had nice char and spice and was tender enough to be noticeably good.  The lobster was a little tough- fine, but not as good as expected.  The sauce was just delicious, I could have slurped it with a spoon and definitely dipped bread in it.  I was also shocked how good the vegetable sides were, these were no after-thought.  The truffle asparagus were the biggest asparagus I have ever seen in my life, but managed to not be too tough and really had a great flavor.  The spinach also had a really nice sauce to it, although it was more a broth than a sauce.  Our waiter and the bar manager were just extraordinarily nice and friendly.  While a bit pricey, ($200 with tip and 3 glasses of wine) it was just delicious and fun.  

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16 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

No deal on brunch anymore 🙁

Everything is a la carte and steep.  Lobster ravioli now $60.

I remember, several years ago before Del Mar (and Fiola Mare) opened, that Fabio made a somewhat sarcastic comment (and I can't remember whether it was on Facebook or Twitter, and quite honestly, I can't remember the specific meat) mocking people growsing that an entrée cost $40. 

This may not seem like a big deal now, but at the time, it was a very aggressive comment (not incorrect, but certainly aggressive) - now, the entire restaurant world has followed suit.

Fabio Trabocchi was a absolutely a trendsetter when it came to raising à la carte prices in DC into stratospheric levels. This is neither good, nor bad - it simply is what it is.

In the long-long term, DC's high-level restaurant pricing will be aligned with the rest of the world, and also with the economy.

cheezepowder, prepare yourself for a lot of closures in the coming years - we came out of the recession, before it was time to come out of the recession, and have been deluding ourselves ever since.

If you're a chef, sign a long-term contract.
If you own real estate, take your profits and run.

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On 10/17/2018 at 9:25 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

No deal on brunch anymore 🙁

Everything is a la carte and steep.  Lobster ravioli now $60.

On 10/18/2018 at 1:09 PM, mtureck said:

The Lobster Ravioli is also a $20 up-charge now on the Fiola prix fixe menus. 

Is this a bad year for lobster?

Oh damn.  I love that dish.  

BTW:  There are some very tasty recipes for a lobster fettuccine with a rich alfredo type sauce.  I've never bothered making any type of ravioli from scratch..so fettuccine does the trick (and saves lots of time).  Wonderful dish...plus you can add as much lobster as you like.   (no - neither my pasta, sauce, or any side element equals either Fiola or Fiola Mare...but its still quite delicious.)

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On 10/17/2018 at 9:48 PM, DonRocks said:

I remember, several years ago before Del Mar (and Fiola Mare) opened, that Fabio made a somewhat sarcastic comment (and I can't remember whether it was on Facebook or Twitter, and quite honestly, I can't remember the specific meat) mocking people growsing that an entrée cost $40. 

This may not seem like a big deal now, but at the time, it was a very aggressive comment (not incorrect, but certainly aggressive) - now, the entire restaurant world has followed suit.

Fabio Trabocchi was a absolutely a trendsetter when it came to raising à la carte prices in DC into stratospheric levels. This is neither good, nor bad - it simply is what it is.

In the long-long term, DC's high-level restaurant pricing will be aligned with the rest of the world, and also with the economy.

cheezepowder, prepare yourself for a lot of closures in the coming years - we came out of the recession, before it was time to come out of the recession, and have been deluding ourselves ever since.

If you're a chef, sign a long-term contract.
If you own real estate, take your profits and run.

Pretty much.

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Had brunch at Fiola Mare prior to the last La Traviata  performance.  We started with the Raviolo Carbonara ($22), a large dumpling filled with a runny egg yoke and delicious jamon Iberico.  I don't find the quality/quantity disproportionate to the price.  The second dish was the Gragnano Spaghetti alla Granseola ($26) - fresh tasting Alaskan King Crab with tomato sauce.  It was slightly spicy and very enjoyable.  Again, worth the money.

I did not order the Lobster Ravioli because I think that price is completely out of whack with the cost of the ingredients and not in line with the cost of other dishes.

The third was Shrimp & Grits ($26).  The two shrimps were overcooked, but I did enjoy the boudin noir.  The last dish was Steak and Eggs ($38) - ordered medium rare.  I found the meat (filet mignon) mushy and we did not bother to finish that dish.  If we had more time, I would've preferred to try their prime rib (only available at 1 p.m.).

The service was impeccable as usual.  With drinks, tax and tip, $240.  Once upon a time, the meal would've cost half it did.

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20 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Will be back on Open Table on Jan 7, 2019.  I think ditching OT in DC is very short sighted.

I am curious why you think that.  When I reserve online, I don't mind that it is Resy or Yelp or Reserve.  Are some patrons loyal to OpenTable for some reason?  Maybe they are familiar with the process and/or get points?

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On 1/1/2019 at 9:06 AM, hopsing said:

I am curious why you think that.  When I reserve online, I don't mind that it is Resy or Yelp or Reserve.  Are some patrons loyal to OpenTable for some reason?  Maybe they are familiar with the process and/or get points?

I'm lazy.  I always check opentable first.  I will remember to go to Resy for something in the Great American Restaurant Group but beyond that, if it isn't on OpenTable, I'm not likely to pursue it.

Mr. BLB booked Fiola Mare for our anniversary dinner tomorrow night.  We haven't been and I'm quite looking forward to it, especially since BL-6th grader will be away so I don't have to spend a fortune to feed him too.

---

Resy.com (FranklinDubya)

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$75 for bottomless champagne brunch, which includes a pastry basket, app, entree, and dessert.  I chose the recommended EGGPLANT AL FUNGHETTO (Japanese Eggplant, Black Garlic, Garlic Aioli), SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE, and CHOCOLATE MARCHESI (Creamy Terrine of Chocolate, Frozen Mint Pearls, Sicilian Pistachios).

The kids watched, with some water so they won't die of dehydration from drooling.

Actually, they ate the croissant and focaccia from the pastry basket and raved.  They also indulged the LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES (Blueberry Conserva, Fresh Berries, Lime Chantilly) while I ate the flavorful eggplant and the overcooked TIGER PRAWN COCKTAIL.  

The kids also ate all the clams, and we all enjoyed the spaghetti.  The added AGNOLOTTI (Braised Ribeye, Parmigiano Vacche Rosse, Brodo) didn't seem to match the description.  There was no brodo, the pasta was undercooked, and the filling tasted nothing like ribeye.  They did throw in some GRILLED CALAMARI because we're infrequent regulars?  These were well seasoned and tasty.

They also threw in some DONUTS & MAPLE CAPPUCCINO (Ricotta Doughnuts, Maple Budino, Vanilla Chantilly).  Two freebies and 3/4 of a bottle of champagne later, I had to take a nap.  I could've just passed out outside because it was so warm.  

I tried to teach my kids that having money is just awesome.  Money indeed brings a shit ton of happiness.  Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.  😅  Just don't lose your head.

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Fiola Mare can be great.  Went yesterday- we do not eat out weekends just in case of crowds.  Two tables of Insta type people near us.  Awful!  Lots of pictures (okay if done quietly- but these were bad), over ordering and demanding a ton of help from the people trying to work.  I am happy Fiola had customers- but these ones were awful.  My waitress is from Ecuador- name not recalled.  I have always had the nicest help there.

So with no travel for long we ordered on the high end.  I had a cold crab dish with salmon caviar on an avocado.  Me and hubs shared a Colors of the Garden salad- never can go wrong with that.  We then did a seafood tower- trying to stay healthy these days.  Our oysters were little and salty- the kind I like, but not every body shares the same taste.  If you imagine if you said seafood medium rare for the "cooked" portions- that is what we had.  Lobster maybe touched some hot water.  Maybe it was the chef and I do not mind- but just heads up.

We did once recently order the pasta with meat for the girls.  I was not for it (meat, fish place?), but it was seriously good.  Hand chopped type meat- not ground.  The cow definitely met some wine.  

Usually, I share a whole fish (branzino or sole) with the girls when all get out.  Oh and the weekend bread basket!

Great eating to all!  

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Fiola Mare used to be one of our DC favorites -- expensive to be sure and a bit stuffy for our taste, but great food.  We had mixed takeout experiences in the past few years. And a friend recently reported that he'd had a mediocre meal there.  But we've wanted to try it again.  When we saw an evening with terrific weather, we grabbed an outdoor table on the water and returned.  The prices have drifted even higher than what I remember.  But more to the point, the food (and service) just weren't where they used to be.  Nothing bad, but a lot more variation and few big winners. We started with a crudo and a burrata.  The crudo was perfectly good, but the set up massively overpowered the fish, leaving us to ask each other if it was good fish. (It was).  Adding some salt helped bring out a few flavors.  But since we remembered loving virtually every crudo we'd had there, this was a disappointment.  The burrata was served with a pesto and a frozen and crushed powder made of spring herbs.  A tableside presentation that involved freezing the herbs in liquid nitrogen and then pulverizing them with a mortar and pestle struck me as unnecessary but entertaining. (We also debated whether the freezing process adds a temperature contrast or enables a better crush without bruising the herbs.)   A ravioli-like pasta (anolini) with goat cheese, herbs, peas, and lemon was badly undersalted.  A twist on linguine with clams (which I think has long been on the menu) was excellent.  And a simply prepared salmon with peas and herbs was springy and quite tasty.   Our waiter was friendly and accommodating though seemed to be stretched a bit thin, with runners doing most of the work.  And while the sommelier guided us to an enjoyable bottle, he was a bit dour, didn't seem interested in engaging or educating on their Italian selection, and surprisingly never came back to see if we were enjoying the bottle.  The views are gorgeous and the food is still pretty good. But at this price point, I would hope for better -- something that they used to deliver.  Perhaps this was an off experience. But I fear that Fiola Mare may not be what it once was.  I'm curious to know if others have had similar or dissimilar experiences lately.   

 

 

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13 hours ago, lotus125 said:

... Perhaps this was an off experience. But I fear that Fiola Mare may not be what it once was.  I'm curious to know if others have had similar or dissimilar experiences lately.   

 

 

Fiola Mare is now a Miami restaurant (well, Coral Gables) which happens to be located in DC - adjust expectations accordingly. Maybe it always was, but the feeling that I first experienced in 2018 seems all encompassing now.

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35 minutes ago, Keithstg said:

Fiola Mare is now a Miami restaurant (well, Coral Gables) which happens to be located in DC - adjust expectations accordingly. Maybe it always was, but the feeling that I first experienced in 2018 seems all encompassing now.

Are the Trabocchis now FL residents?  I

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On 6/14/2022 at 11:10 AM, Keithstg said:

Fiola Mare is now a Miami restaurant (well, Coral Gables) which happens to be located in DC - adjust expectations accordingly. Maybe it always was, but the feeling that I first experienced in 2018 seems all encompassing now.

I'm not the sharpest bulb in the drawer so I need some help understanding this.

The first sentence seems like a put down, but I'm not sure why.  Is Miami/Coral Gables not a good restaurant market?  Or does it mean this place has morphed to just a generic outpost of a once unique restaurant? The line about "adjust expectations accordingly" seems like you need to adjust your expectations downward, but I don't get the Miami connection.

The second line seems like a compliment but I don't think it is.  I first took it to mean "that feeling I first experienced was fantastic" (as in, the restaurant was new and hot and firing on all cylinders with Fabio behind the stove).  But the addition of "seems all encompassing now" coupled with "adjust your expectations" makes me think otherwise.

What was the feeling you had in 2018?  I'm guessing it was not being overjoyed at an amazing meal and experience?

On 12/18/2018 at 10:15 AM, Keithstg said:

Overall, service struggled to keep up with the kitchen. Granted, the place was filled, but we experienced waits to be seated, to receive our cocktails, wine, second half bottle of wine, etc etc. Service was perfunctory, but pleasant enough. The waits were nothing egregious, but enough to be noticed as glasses were empty. I came away thinking a few things - I'm not sure if the goal for Fiola Mare is a Michelin Star but our meal and service in no way merited one, the wine pricing is ruinous, bordering on predatory, and I bet they will do super in Miami.

To follow up my own question, I found this (above).  [When you mentioned 2018, I went to the beginning the thread and started looking for your post.  Little did I know it was just upthread a few posts!]

And I think I understand the Miami reference now too:  People with more money than sense, over-paying across the board, to go to a hot place to be seen, regardless of the overall quality of the evening.

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22 hours ago, Bart said:

I'm not the sharpest bulb in the drawer so I need some help understanding this.

The first sentence seems like a put down, but I'm not sure why.  Is Miami/Coral Gables not a good restaurant market?  Or does it mean this place has morphed to just a generic outpost of a once unique restaurant? The line about "adjust expectations accordingly" seems like you need to adjust your expectations downward, but I don't get the Miami connection.

The second line seems like a compliment but I don't think it is.  I first took it to mean "that feeling I first experienced was fantastic" (as in, the restaurant was new and hot and firing on all cylinders with Fabio behind the stove).  But the addition of "seems all encompassing now" coupled with "adjust your expectations" makes me think otherwise.

What was the feeling you had in 2018?  I'm guessing it was not being overjoyed at an amazing meal and experience?

To follow up my own question, I found this (above).  [When you mentioned 2018, I went to the beginning the thread and started looking for your post.  Little did I know it was just upthread a few posts!]

And I think I understand the Miami reference now too:  People with more money than sense, over-paying across the board, to go to a hot place to be seen, regardless of the overall quality of the evening.

Seems like you worked through it! The Miami reference, as relates to food. Re: Cafe Milano, think Fiola Mare has always been better than Cafe Milano, and will always be - but DC isn't setting the world on fire in terms of upscale seafood these days.

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Wife and I had childcare for the first time in a while— was last minute and we just wanted a reliably good meal.  The last time we had gone to Fiola Mare was pre-pandemic and was a great experience.  We had been to Fiola since then and had a good experience— we thought this would be reliably good— big mistake.

At some point this restaurant has turned into more of a club than a restaurant.  Bugatti parked outside, neon lights in the entryway and club music pumping at 8pm.  
  
Four people at check-in. None of them could find the reservation we had called and made that night. They had to call a 5th person to find it.

We were brought to the table and immediately the hard sells began.  Trying to convince us to start with a caviar course or a smoked signature drink that was brought to many of the surrounding tables with great fanfare.  We knew the prices before we went so there was no sticker shock— but despite having premium prices the waitress pressed us to order every add on in an uncomfortable manner.   We order a crudo platter which was described as a portion for two ($65) and the Dover sole($115) which was also described as a portion for two.  We wanted to share a clam pasta.  When ordered the pasta course the waitress asked what my wife would be having.  She said she would be sharing my pasta.  The waitress replies that they do not allow sharing of plates.  We are welcome to order two have portions instead.  I inquire about the price difference since the half portion prices were not listed.  She avoids the question and says you get an ounce more of pasta with two half portions vs one full plate.  I ask again if there is a price difference— she says well of course since we are giving you more we will charge more, ends up being an $8 difference.  My wife gave me the look as I was getting annoyed and I just said fine— we will do a half portion of the lobster ravioli and a half of the clam pasta.  The irony was when the brought out the two half portions they places them in the center of the table —- for us to share.

food:

crudo platter($65)— raw fish and shrimp with yogurt and an Israeli/Palestinian salad underneath.  It was ok.  It was a cold dish, but the plates they brought us to eat on were super hot to the touch— we ended up not using them

clam pasta half portion:  it was a small portion of pasta with a generous amount of clams— prob the best dish

lobster ravioli half portion:  this was a joke— one small claw portion and one ravioli

dover sole:  basically a meunière style— well cooked but a small sole for the price

midway through the meal the waitress comes by with rolls.  She dropped them off at all the surrounding tables but when she drops it off at our says,”  since you didn’t order that much I brought you this”.  
 

We had desert and each had a drink.  Bill comes to $400.  She stands over me watching me as I am filling out the tip section.  Completely awkward.

This brand used to be all about hospitality— what a shitshow.  I am contemplating writing to them but not sure if it’s even worth it

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 12/17/2022 at 2:50 PM, malokd said:

When ordered the pasta course the waitress asked what my wife would be having.  She said she would be sharing my pasta.  The waitress replies that they do not allow sharing of plates.  We are welcome to order two have portions instead.

This is such a turn-off.  Whether it was the waitress trying to shake you down, or truly the restaurant's policy, it's really lame and the polar opposite of hospitality.

I was at Primrose recently and we ordered a couple of starter dishes and then told the server we would be sharing the fish dish for our entrée.  He and kitchen took it upon themselves to split the dish and bring it out on two separate plates.  The meal was fine, but what I really remember from that night was this kind gesture.  Probably similar but opposite to your memory of the night.

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On 12/17/2022 at 2:50 PM, malokd said:

This brand used to be all about hospitality— what a shitshow.  I am contemplating writing to them but not sure if it’s even worth it.

I can't thank you enough for helping me scratch this one off my must-visit list. It's already a long list, so knocking one or two off the list is welcomed. For $400 my wife and I would be able to enjoy multiple pleasant meals elsewhere.

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Moe (Maureen) Tkacik is a writer I have read for a long time. She is a leftist labor activist and feminist. Her writing is awesome. As best I can puzzle it out she used to work at Fiola Mare as a server and her husband was a chef there. It sounds like quite a stressful place to work.

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